The people behind Jaipur's success in print

Yogesh Narula of YK Graphics is a busy man. The amateur photographer and stage actor is busy rehearsing the cult classic, Khamosh, Adalat Zari Hai.

16 Jul 2015 | By Noel D'Cunha

The original play which was penned in Marathi by Vijay Dhondopant Tendulkar (1928 to 2008) straddled the Marathi literary world like a colossus. The production is being directed by Narula’s wife.
 
Narula essays the role of the judge, Kashikar.
 
All eyes are on the opening shows: 28 July and 2 August in Jaipur.
 
It’s a dark and disturbing world that Narula inhabits, since Tendulkar’s plays and characters never guarantee a good bedtime read. As Ashish Nandy said about him, “He never fails to make you feel that you have entered a dentist’s chamber with an undiagnosed abscess in the molars.”
 
Which is why it is good that Narula also represents TechNova, Micro Huber, Agfa, Siegwerk, Trelleborg, and Organic Coatings in the business of consumables for the last 28 years.
 
This is YK Graphics, where Y K Narula is the director. It all began with Narula selling PS plates for Neeraj Graphics, before it became Lastra Neeraj, which TechNova acquired, subsequently. A one-man army, Narula used bicycle to deliver plates to his clients.
 
According to him, the demand for print in Jaipur has been “flat”. However, unlike the earlier days, when long runs was the name of the game, runs have reduced, but jobs have increased.
 
Jaipur: A quick snapshot.
 
There are 200 printers in Jaipur.
 
Of this four-five printers operate in the Rs 12-crore bracket
 
There are 25 in the Rs five-six crore bracket
 
There are 50 in the Rs 2-crore bracket
 
And finally the 120 odd printers in the Rs 50-lakh or less bracket
 
According to Narula, there are 80 printers with four-colour presses, with 10 printers who possess brand new machines.
 
There are 12 printers with in-house CTP, and another eight bureaus which posses CTP systems. Most have installed TechNova’s Viostar, plus there is one Kodak Trendsetter and one Heidelberg Suprasetter.
 
The total plate sales of YK Graphics is around 40,000 sq/mtrs per month. This is bundled with 23,000 litres per month. YK Graphics holds a market share of 90% (TechNova) in Jaipur.
 
Digital presses have made its mark in Jaipur with about six HP Indigo. Most of these render photo-album work. In addition, there is one NexPress which caters to the photo-album market plus commercial work, and a few medium-and entry-level digital presses.
 
Very few offset presses have medium- and low-end digital presses, which do short-run work. But digital does not account for more than 10% of all printed jobs.
 
250 kilometres of good news
Even as one has dinner later in the night, there are stories about the 250-kilometer stretch between Delhi and Jaipur. How Manesar, Dharuhera, Bhiwadi, Neemrana, Kotputli and Alwar are the hotspots for real-estate investors. And therefore good news for print development.
 
There is unbridled optimism. 
 
The Rajasthan Infrastructure Development Act (RIDA) hopes to develop infrastructure and cost intensive projects through public private partnership (PPP) in healthcare, power, water, and education.
 
In doing so, the city that the Maharaja, Sawai Jai Singh II created in 1727 is hoping to leapfrog into the best-planned cities of India.
 
Jaipur Printers: Seven lakh certificates on the Nexpress
The last time PrintWeek India featured the company, things have been on the up at Jaipur Printers. It has bolstered its print capacity with a NexPress. Only recently, the firm recently completed printing of seven lakh University certificates in 20 days, using the NexPress.
 
It continues to do commercial work, with focus on quality and print precision, using measurement tools. The Mitsubishi Diamond 1000LS five-colour presses installed in 2008 continues to serve the company, and helps it retain its customers’ faith.
 
It has added a five-colour pre-owned press to do “job work”.
 
In the past JP has sprung many a firsts with installation of latest technology like Scitex flatbed scanner in 1994, a four-colour press in 1998, Dainippon Screen CTP in 2004, and a Mitsubishi Diamond 1000LS five-colour press in 2008.
 
Commenting on this investment decision, Alok Jain, executive director of Jaipur Printers, explained that they have recently been witnessing an increased demand for high-quality and print-on-demand jobs from their trusted clients, who according to Jain, have been the driving force behind his company's growth. “Honouring the trust of our clients is paramount and hence we have decided to offer the next level of value-added print quality using Kodak’s technology.”
 
Started as a small partnership business in 1948 by Jain's father, the late Shri Sohan Lalji Jain, today, in its journey of 65 years, JP has established many a milestones and has attained the top position among the leading printers of the state of Rajasthan.
 
Going ahead it is assessing the options of moving into packaging, but Alok Jain, the executive director, wants that decision to be taken by the next-gen, sons of Pramod his brother, Anurag and Ashish.
 
Aam Aar Pack: Jaipur’s MetPet printer
The other printer who is transforming Jaipur into a print centre is Aam Aar Pack.
 
The company has a two-, four- and six-colour Lithrone presses. It also has the distinction of being the only press who can print UV on MetPet. It is also equipped with die-cutting and folding machines.
 
According to Hari Om, the owner of Aam Aar Pack, the packaging business, particulary in the pharma segment has not picket up, is rather dull. Reason: Most of the pharma companies have moved out of Jaipur to pharma hubs like Baddi in Himachal Pradesh.
 
The company specialises in producing ghee cartons with foil liners, producing 7-lakh sheets per month and subsequent cartons.
 
Presently, the company operates from two locations and is looking to consolidate all operations under one roof. After which he aims to produce paper cups.
 
The future looks bullish.
 
Local print CEOs say that with Jaipur’s annual average growth rate of 5.3%, twice that of the nation’s urban growth, today’s print firms need to introspect how best to take the city into the future?
 
The LMAI Conference which kick starts today (16 July) in this heritage city is a good place to find out.